4 Tech Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Nowadays, almost every household owns a television, computer, and a smartphone – sometimes several of each. Although these devices make our lives easier, society has seen a significant increase in the amount of physical stress caused by excessive technology usage. Here are a few tech-related injuries that are on the rise and what you can do to prevent them.

1. Text Neck

Staring down at your cell phone places additional stress on
your neck, shoulders, and upper back – causing pain with repetitive use. In
fact, for every inch that your head tilts forward, your spine undergoes an
additional 10 pounds of strain.

Prevent it: Be mindful of your posture while using your tech
devices. Position your computer, tablet, or smartphone so that you’re not
tilting your head downward. Ideally, when holding your head upright, the center
of your screen should be at eye level.

2. Trigger Thumb

Sometimes called “texting thumb”, this condition is another
repetitive stress injury caused by all that swiping, scrolling, and tapping on
our cellphone screens.

People with jobs that require a lot of keystrokes are at
risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
which is a painful condition of the wrist.

Prevent it: Try to minimize repetitive strain and learn to keep
your wrists in a neutral position while working. Use keyboard and mouse wrist
rests as not to allow your wrists to press against hard desk edges. Stretch
your muscles periodically with an exercise like this.

4. Tech Arm

Holding your smartphone or tablet out in front of you for
prolonged periods can cause elbow and shoulder pain.

Prevent it: Switch arms often to give your elbows a break from
being in an awkward position. For time-consuming tasks, switch to an ergonomically-correct
workstation.

There are many ways you can still use your devices and
prevent these digital disabilities, but ultimately, reducing your screen time
is the best course of action. Take frequent tech breaks and move your body to
combat a sedentary lifestyle. If you do experience pain in the neck, thumb,
wrist, or elsewhere, give our office a call.